Author Archives: laurenkahan

Prim and Proper + A little Edge…

I found this adorable vintage top at a thrift store a few weeks ago. I LOVE all the embroidered details, but the puffed sleeves have kind of kept me from wearing it. It looks a little too prim and proper for me. NOT there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m not really girly or frilly. So…I paired it with pair of destroyed skinny jeans (found them a the same thrift store-Value Village-had a 30% of coupon that was expiring), and some studded gold boat shoes. I think it balanced it out! What do you think? Maya’s new thing is to say “Mommy, kiss?!” And then she attacks me with LICKS! Like…won’t stop. It’s kinda funny at first, and then….kinda gross! And then she’s back to sweetness overload. Giving flower petals from the ground to my mom, because picking them is not allowed 😉Um, when did she become a teenager!!??On me…

Top- Vintage

Jeans- Edyson “sloan” deconstructed skinny (thrifted, sold out, but similar here)

Shoes- be & D gold studded boat shoe eBay for $13 sold out but less expensive here

On Maya…

Dress- Osh Kosh

Shoes- (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

hahaha. And yes, those are little boys’ underwear. She’s obsessed with Monster’s Inc 🙂

Blog Maya OshKosh Dress Butterfly Boots-5

(all pictures of me and me with Maya taken by my mom :))

Paleo Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pies

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I’ve been seeing so many pictures of Nana Ice Cream on Instagram, and have been dying to try my own version. Funny thing…I’m not really a big fan of bananas haha. So, I added a few other things into the mix to see how it turned out. OMG, it was so creamy and delicious!!! One of my favorite desserts (crazy, I know!) is just a plain soft serve ice cream cone. I am TOTALLY doing that with this recipe later!!

I’ve also been itching to make a crust out of almonds and dates, so….I figured why not make them both…TOGETHER! You’d think you were eating a decadent dessert, yet not! Now, with all the almonds and dates, it’s not necessarily low calorie/low fat, but it’s all good for you, so toss the guilt aside, and ENJOY!So the crust on these…OMG. I am a die hard LOVER of graham cracker crust. Like, I double it every time I make a cheesecake or other recipe that calls for it :} This was pretty darn close and so much better for you! Totally converting!Ingredients (makes 8 little pies, or could make one 9 inch pie)

Ice Cream

6 frozen bananas
1/3 Cup Almonds
1 Can low fat Coconut Milk
2 Medjul Dates (pitted)

Crust

12 Medjul Dates (pitted)
1 1/3 Cup Almonds
2 1/2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Directions

In a food processor pulse the ingredients for the crust until it starts to clump together. I took 1/3 of a cup and put it in the bottom of each little glass bowl (could use ramicans or place most of it all in a 9 inch pie dish). I kept a little left over to sprinkle over the top of the pies.
I a blender, mix all the Ice Cream ingredients until smooth and creamy. I spooned 1/2 cup into the little bowls, and then sprinkled the leftover crust mix.
This really is best served right away, but you can freeze them and then let them sit out for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
I topped with shaved unsweetened coconut and fresh blueberries. Really, the possibilities are endless on how you can vary this! And…I WILL!

ENJOY!!

Nutritional Facts (I entered all the ingredients into Calorie Count)

Per Individual Pie

Serves 8 // Calories per Individual Pie- 351 // Total Fat- 17g // Saturated Fat- 7g // Total Carbohydrates-55.8g // Dietary Fiber-7.3 // Sugars- 33.1g // Protein- 5.8g

Summer Neutrals…

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Maya and I actually wore these outfit when we had some friends over for dinner the other weekend, but never got the chance to take our pictures. If you don’t take a picture, it’s like you never wore it, right haha. Soooo, we recycled the outfits to go over to my parents for dinner while the Huz was out of town 🙂

My mom was nice enough to grab some pics of me.Honestly have no idea what I was laughing about? My mom’s pretty funny, but it was probably that I’m just not used to others taking my picture (shared some information about that and a few random things about me on Instagram yesterday) 😉 LOVE all the details in this top!! And it is SO comfy!! Her new thing is to “RRRRRAHRRRR!” To which you are supposed to respond “AAAAAH!!” She thinks it’s hilarious. Then will say “Now, YOU say RRRRAHRRR!” and then she squeals in surprise/shock/fake scaredness 🙂 I changed into flip flops for our walk…Kind of in love with this next one…thanks Mom!!!And….she’s done haha.On me…

Top- See by Chloe (ebay, similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 Amanda the not distressed version (mine-ebay)

Shoes- Jeffrey Campbell (thrifted, similar here) and Havaianas

On Maya…

Dress- Zara Kids (thrifted, but love this on sale here)

Shoes-Stride Rite (thrifted, similar here)

(all pictures of me and me with Maya taken by my Mom :))

How many pairs of distressed skinny jeans does a girl need…

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Apparently at least one more 🙂

I posted a glimpse on Instagram of one of my latest thrift hauls (actually a different outfit that I have yet to wear!). Is that something anyone would want to see more of on the blog? Like how much I score things for, or no? In any case…this entire outfit cost me less than $20! Retail would have been more than $250 🙂 The other thing I love about thrifting, is buying brands I may never have bought otherwise. I don’t think I’ve ever shopped at Talbots, but since scooping up this top I’ve worn it twice in 3 days haha :} So…the upside to this school playground that we’ve been going to pretty much every other night. There’s usually only a few people there (if any!), so I don’t feel as self conscious setting up the tripod to take pics. AND…Maya just plays on the playground while I snap a few quick pics of myself…all within eyesight! Total win. Then, I can usually lure her over to play in front of the camera for a few of us together… 🙂 The downside is… that if there are other kids there, she certainly is not in the mood to take pics with me haha. Not that it’s really a downside. I LOVE that she run, run, runs here. Am I the only mom that loves going to school playgrounds more than actual playgrounds because there are no swings or sand pits? Kind of defeats the point to have Maya go and want to swing the entire time or sit in the sandbox and dump sand over her head over and over (total mean mommy admission!!!)

Anywho! There was NO getting her in front of the tripod on this night, but the Huz was there (yahoo to that after him being in NYC all week!!!), so he took these next few of us as I was wrangling her to go home 🙂 Oh magical sun setting light. How I love you… And that adorable nugget?? TOO CUTE!! It was a good night…On me…

Top- Talbots (thrifted, similar here)

Jeans- Paige “Blue Heights” (thrifted, similar here)

Shoes- Betula by Birkenstocks (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya… (total outfit cost-$5!)

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted)

Shoes- Stride Rite (thrifted, similar here)

Keeping it Real…

I am almost caught up with work, so I’m doing links again. Not sure how long that will last or if anyone cares 😉

(all pictures of me taken with a self timer and tripod, ones of me with Maya by the Huz :))

Zara Sale….take 2 :}

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Ok, so my Zara sale “Happy Birthday to me” purchase was not just limited to this. 🙂 I got these shoes too!! They were only $29!! I have to admit…they aren’t as comfortable as the leopard ones (which I wore on a shoot the other day-passed that test!). That’s ok though. They aren’t uncomfortable, and they are so flipping cute!! Oh, and this boxy tee too 😉 Because, you can never have too many white tees (they never stay white…)! Maya found some sidewalk chalk on the playground…

“Mommy, draw a cat?”

“Sure…”

“With a tail!”

“Sure!”

“And a cow!”

I’m actually a pretty good artist, but a cow? Why are those so hard to draw??

“Um, he’s sleeping…” (My answer to everything I don’t want to/can’t do :))and…she accepts it every time hahahaBecause, she has Goffrey2. Why does she need a cow??OMG, I don’t even know what she is doing here, but it cracks me up!!!I’m only including this picture, because it’s actually a big deal. Maya is SO cautious at any playground!!! She was pretty early/advanced in all her verbal/mental stages, but late in most of her motor skills. She’s still totally cautious to climb anything and still won’t stand up on the slide platform no matter how high/low the slide is. She crawls… SO, the fact that she wanted to climb up this “rock wall” thing was pretty cool! This was about as far as she went, but still! 🙂On me…

Top- Zara (on sale now!)

Jeans- Current Elliott (ebay, similar here)

Shoes- Zara (sold out :()

On Maya…

Dress- Old Navy (thrifted)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

Honestly, I don’t even remember what was going on here. Might have been that she saw the chalk, yet I wasn’t sure what she meant? Or maybe…Goffrey2 got dropped?? (insert horror emoticon!!) Either way…it’s not always smiles, hugs, and kisses 😉

Blog Old Navy Striped Dress Brown Converse-7

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes // Gluten Free

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What makes Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins even better? FROSTING!! 🙂 I didn’t have any cream cheese on hand, so I thought I’d try something with goat cheese. I love getting creative with what’s on hand! I left the room for a minute. When I came back, Maya had taken a bite out of every carrot and was working her way through this one 🙂I’m reposting the recipe for the muffins turned cupcakes 🙂

Ingredients (makes 12)

Muffins

4-5 small organic carrots (about a cup)
1/2 Cup unsweetened applesauce
6 Medjul Dates (pitted)
2 Eggs
1/8th teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8th teaspoon salt
1/8th teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8th teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I cheat and use this)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Pure Organic Honey
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
1/4 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Frosting

3 oz goat cheese (I get the little individual 1 oz packs from Trader Joe’s)
2 6 oz containers of Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Pure Organic Honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350
Peel and break in half the carrots and pulse in a Cuisinart til shredded.
Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse til blended.
Scoop 1/4 of a cup of the mixture into muffin tins
Sprinkle shredded coconut on top
Bake for 50-55 minutes.
Place a big dollop of frosting on and ENJOY!
These are really moist. I’m not sure why. They don’t do well if you seal them up in a container, so just refrigerate what doesn’t get gobbled up immediately, and they will not dry out.

Nutritional Facts (I entered all the ingredients into Calorie Count)

Cupcakes

Serves 12 // Calories per frosted cupcake- 160 // Total Fat- 5.9g // Saturated Fat- 3.9g // Cholestererol- 35mg // Sodium- 178mg // Total Carbohydrates-18.7g // Dietary Fiber-1.5 // Sugars- 12.6g // Protein- 8g

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

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I’ll admit…these were my 2nd attempt. I’ve been wanting to make a carrot cake version of the Banana Muffins I made, and my first attempt were just a liiiiiittle too healthy tasting haha. Maya gobbled them up, but that’s not really saying much 😉 So…I made them a little bit sweeter, and loved them! There’s still no refined sugar, so they are much healthier than the standard carrot cake. They are super moist, not heavy like other carrot cakes, and delicious!

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)

4-5 small organic carrots (about a cup)
1/2 Cup unsweetened applesauce
6 Medjul Dates (pitted)
2 Eggs
1/8th teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8th teaspoon salt
1/8th teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8th teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I cheat and use this)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Pure Organic Honey
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
1/4 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350
Peel and break in half the carrots and pulse in a Cuisinart til shredded.
Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse til blended.
Scoop 1/4 of a cup of the mixture into muffin tins
Sprinkle shredded coconut on top
Bake for 50-55 minutes.
These are really moist. I’m not sure why. They don’t do well if you seal them up in a container, so just leave them out and they will not dry out. Enjoy!

Nutritional Facts (I entered all the ingredients into Calorie Count)

Serves 12 // Calories per muffin- 98 // Total Fat- 3.4g // Saturated Fat- 2.2g // Cholestererol- 27mg // Sodium- 146mg // Potassium- 198mg // Total Carbohydrates-15.1g // Dietary Fiber-1.5 // Sugars- 9g // Protein- 2.2g

Cold rainy days in July…yes, please!

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Am I the only one that likes when the weather takes an unexpected turn? Like a super sunny day in February or a rainy day in July. By the end of winter I’m sick of all my sweaters and coats, but it was nice to revisit them for a few days 🙂

And the wind was nice enough to cover the fact that I didn’t have any make up on 😉 I love Superga shoes! When I saw these platform versions on ThredUp, for $10, I thought they’d be perfect! Once again (high fives for ThredUp ) , when I got them they looked like they’d never been worn. Love that! Plus, they add a little height to my short legs and are totally comfy. What I didn’t realize is that they are SO SPRINGY!! I wanted to do a jump shot to show how springy they were, and I have to admit…I was kind of impressed when I came home and saw this one!! I have 6 outtakes that are ridiculous, but love this one! I’m a total shoe shot nerd…love them! And no, no Photoshopping was done to this!! Insert “hi five emoticon” if there was one :} That look!! Little glimpse into the teenage years…Love me some sunflare…She never met a puddle she didn’t like… :{On me…

Jacket- StyleMint (from winter-sold out)

Sweater- H&M

Jeans- Genetic Denim “The Shane” (ebay)

Shoes- Superga (ThredUp)

On Maya…

Jacket- Old Navy (thrifted)

Top- Pumpkin Patch (thrifted)

Jeans- 7 For All Mankind (eBay)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

I mean…I wasn’t even close on any of the ones leading up to the shot I finally got!!! The little blinking light gets faster and faster as it’s about to go off, and I just couldn’t time it right! Thank GOD there was nobody else on the playground hahaha. I was about to throw in the towel, and then got the one I posted above. Thank goodness for digital cameras and stubborn determination 🙂

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Summer sweater + Fringe Booties

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I scored this sweater for $10 from Twice a few weeks ago!! It’s been SO hot lately though (I mean upper 80’s/90’s is HOT for Seattle), so I haven’t been able to wear it. Finally we had a slight break in our heat, so I threw it on. It’s the perfect amount of warmth, but air conditioned :). I’m not really sure how age appropriate a see through sweater is, but I took these when I was still in my 30’s (albeit the very last day), so maybe it’s ok haha :}And can we talk about these fringe booties I thrifted for $5?! I’m really not a fan of jumping shots, but Maya is… And, honestly, I’ll do anything to make sure she enjoys taking pics with me 😉 Yeah, this will be the last time Goffrey2 flies. I was a liiiitle worried he’d poke my eye out! “Where’s Maya?!” I swear it’s her favorite game to play. She will even close her eyes, and say “Where’s Maya??” if there’s nothing to hide behind haha. I wish I could bottle up her joy and drink it. With that said…yes, I’m about to overpost, but can you blame me?? hahaha. Because half an eye…still can’t see you! OMG, that little smirk. It was all I could do not to throw the camera aside and eat her up! On me…

Sweater- Joie (from Twice Online Resale Store)

Jean Shorts- Vintage Levi’s

Boots- Thrifted

On Maya…

Dress- Old Navy (thrifted)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted)

Keeping it Real…

Not much to keep real. I’ve been trying really hard to not get consumed by work lately, and enjoy spending time with Maya, the Huz, and the boys. It’s so hard as shoots and editing pile up, but I know I still turn things around faster than most. I’m just letting the guilt go and enjoying my family, then cramming as much as I can in during nap time as I possibly can haha.

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Vintage dressing…

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When I was in my 20’s, I’d say about half of my wardrobe was vintage. I would wear vintage 50’s dresses to work, and had more vintage cardigans and coats than anyone in their right mind should have. Oh, and beautifully embroidered vintage blouses? Yeah, I had my fair share of those too. Over the year I got rid of most of the dresses and shirts, although I still wear most of my vintage coats. This dress is actually a nightgown (I think?!), but it’s so easy to just throw on with flip flops and head out the door. Plus…Maya said “Mommy, you’re a PRINCESS!” when I put it on, which is basically a win no matter what 🙂 Um…someone wasn’t so sure about looking at the camera haha. Honestly, I’m always so surprised by how often she smiles at a camera on a tripod! And, yes, she has rain boots on. Or, as Sesame Street calls them “Galoshes” Pretty much her favorite boots, and even thought it was mid 80’s, with no rain in site…she wanted to wear them. And, obviously, I let her. 🙂Maybe the tripod was giving her the stink eye HA! “Tickle me??!!” She’s obsessed with being tickled, and I’m always happy to oblige 🙂 “Mom, LOOK, LOOK!!! It’s a ladybug!”And, then the ladybug flew! 🙂“Mom, LOOK, LOOK ‘Cars coming!!'” Yes, I’m always saying that to her, so she’s always pointing them out to me. Right after, she started counting them. “One…two….three…” The best is when we are IN the car driving down the street. “MOM! Car’s coming!!” 🙂I don’t even know what was going on here, and I tried thinking up something funny to go along with this, but…I drew a blank. It’s funny enough on it’s own though! I welcome any captions 🙂On me…